Welcome to our Support Portal. Search for answers using the search box below,
or create a support ticket if you cannot find your answer.
Tip: Start typing in the input box for immediate search results.
How to Customize Your Canvas Course Homepage
Overview
Your Canvas course homepage is the first page students see when they enter your course. A welcoming and informative homepage helps establish your presence as the instructor, sets expectations, and provides quick access to important course elements.
This guide will walk you through fully customizing your homepage—including adding your instructor information, contact details, a biography, and an optional profile image.
Estimated Time to Complete: 20 minutes
Instructions
- Open Your Canvas Course
- Log in to Learn@Capitol (Canvas).
- From your Dashboard, click the course you want to update.
- Edit the Homepage
- On your homepage, click Edit.
- You are now in the Rich Content Editor (RCE).
Include the following recommended sections:
Instructor Information
- Name and Credentials (e.g., Dr. Jane Smith, PhD – Computer Science)
- Department (e.g., School of Engineering and Computer Science)
Contact Information
- Capitol Email Address (required)
- Office Hours (e.g., Wednesdays 1–3 PM ET via Zoom or in-person)
- Communication Policy (e.g., “I will respond to student emails within 48 business hours.”)
⚠️ Faculty are required to use their Capitol email for all student communication and are expected to check their email daily.
Instructor Biography
Use your bio to introduce yourself to students and build rapport. Keep it professional, but feel free to share your interests or teaching philosophy.
Recommended items:
- Professional background
- Teaching and/or industry experience
- Virtual office hours
- Short 2–3 line summary (75–125 words)
- Links to professional profiles (LinkedIn, publications, etc.)
- Add a Profile Image
- In the bio area, place your cursor where the image should go.
- Delete any placeholder image.
- In the RCE toolbar, click the Image icon and choose one:
- Course Images → select from files already in this course.
- Upload Image → choose a file from your computer.
Important:
- Do not copy/paste an image from a previous course—students won’t see copied images.
- Always upload fresh into the current course.
- Add Alt Text and Adjust Image Size
- Click the image, then choose Image Options.
- Add Alt Text (e.g., First Last – profile picture).
- Set Width to 225 px (height will auto-adjust).
- Click Done.
Accessibility Note: Alt text ensures screen reader users can identify your photo.
- Wrap Text Beside the Photo
- With the image selected, choose Left Align from the toolbar.
- Your bio text should appear neatly to the right of the photo.
- Add Extra Spacing (Optional: HTML Editor)
If the text sits too close to your photo:
- Open the HTML view: click </> (HTML Editor).
- Find the image tag (search for float).
- Add right-side padding:
- <img style=”float: left; padding-right: 10px;” … >
Adjust 10px to 15px or 20px for more space. 
- Verify in Student View
- From course navigation, go to Settings → Student View.
- Confirm:
- The welcome header is correct.
- Your photo displays properly.
- Text sits neatly beside the image.
- Exit Student View when finished.
Troubleshooting
Issue | Solution |
Image doesn’t appear for students | Upload a new image into this course (do not copy from old courses). |
Text formatting looks odd | Repaste your bio as plain text (Ctrl + Shift + V or ⌘ + Shift + V). |
Ask the Professor / Student Lounge links broken | Recreate links in this course instead of copying them. |
Students can’t see the page | Ensure both the page and the course are published. Use Student View to confirm. |
Still Need Help?
Need assistance customizing your homepage? Contact the Online Learning team at ask@captechu.edu for support.